My Forever Valentine
by Eternally Addicted
Summary: Valentine's Day had been the most magical day of Bella's life, everything was perfect. That is until Edward left. Now four years later on Valentine's Day, she's about to marry another man. Can Edward make Valentine's Day theirs again?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone, this was my entry in this years Valentine's Day countdown. It was a lot of fun to write. I plan to continue it just as soon as I can. It won't be a full length story, but I will probably add somewhere around three more chapters to tie up any loose ends that were left at the end of the one shot and to give you a look into their future. **

**I couldn't have done this without the help of my two most awesome beta's My-Bella and Hope4more, or without les-16, ****anonynouslysufferingfromOCD, and ****MedusaInNY**** who pre-read this for me as often as I asked. You guys all rock! **

**I have pictures of Bella's Vegas wedding gown posted on my blog, along with pictures from the hotel and chapel in Vegas. Stop on by and check them out. Just remember to remove the () from around the dots. **

http:/eternallyaddicted(.)blogspot(.)com/

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And Of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended. **

_**~* My Forever Valentine* ~  
**_

_**Valentine's Day 2011**_

"There, all done. Mike is going to be speechless when he sees you," Alice said as she placed the last of what felt like a hundred jeweled pins in my hair. I smiled as I looked at my reflection; my best friend had transformed me into something out of a fairytale storybook. I hardly recognized myself. Alice was more than my best friend though—she was the sister I'd never had. The extra makeup and the poofy princess ball gown that was my wedding dress were a little much for my usual taste, but I could handle it since it was only one day.

Alice moved to stand behind me and pulled the strings so tight on the corseted back I didn't think I'd be able to breathe. Standing before the full length mirror she had insisted on bringing with us today, I said to her, "You've really outdone yourself this time, Alice." My voice was shaking as I fought to keep my emotions at bay and not cry for fear of ruining the makeup she had just perfectly applied on my face.

"Oh, Bella, it was my pleasure. You know that I would do anything for you. This is your big day. You're getting married today, on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine's Day," she exclaimed to me. However, I couldn't help but think I was hearing a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"What's wrong, Alice? Why do I sense there's something you're keeping from me?" I asked, knowing that she would be completely honest with me. We had never lied to or kept anything from each other since the day we'd met back in third grade.

Her expression instantly turned from one of excitement to one of trepidation. She was keeping something from me and I was at a loss as to what it could be about.

"Please, Alice. You know you can tell me anything," I begged.

Sucking in a deep breath and slowly releasing it, she paced back and forth across the floor a few times before going over to her bag and pulling out what appeared to be a red envelope. Turning to face me, she had pulled her upper lip in her mouth and was chewing on it nervously, as she made her way across the room where I was still sitting at the vanity.

"Bella, you know I love you right?" she asked hesitantly as she place her hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Yes of course, Alice. Sisters forever right?"

She nodded with a faint smile.

"What in the world has gotten into you?" I could see she was clearly very torn up over something.

"Look…I know this might not be the best time to give this to you, but I only found it this morning," she said as she held up the red envelope for me to see before she continued. "I'm not sure what it says or why Edward never gave it to you, or even how long it's been there. But what I do know is that at some point he had meant to give it to you and I think you should read it before you walk down that aisle today."

"Why, Alice? What could possibly be in there that could be so important I would need to read it before I pledge myself to Mike? My relationship with your brother has been over for years now. I knew when I waved goodbye to him that day at the airport, our lives would forever be changed. So tell me why I should read this?"

"I don't know. I can't really explain it. You know how I get sometimes, how I just know things."

I nodded with a sigh, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Whenever she had gotten these weird feelings over the years she had always been right.

"Ok," she whispered and then continued. "You also know that as twins, Edward and I have always had a special connection. It might be nothing, for all I know it could be a card wishing you well on your marriage and he dropped it when he left this morning. But I can't shake this feeling that it's important and that you need to read it," she explained.

I thought again about how Alice's inner intuition had never been wrong. So when she handed me the card and offered to leave, allowing me some time to myself, I promised that I'd read whatever was inside the envelope. I was aware Edward had been home for a few weeks before he was off to Boston permanently. Like me he had graduated early in three and a half years instead of four. The difference was he now had four more years of law school ahead of him. Alice had said that it had been too late for him to switch his registration from the fall semester to the spring, so he had until August when law school would begin and had gotten a research job with a very prestigious law firm in the area. I had no doubt he would have a very successful career. But the only contact I'd had with him was a few passing glances when going to visit Alice. So I was baffled as to what he could possibly have to say now, after all this time?

Alice and I hugged tightly and she left the room. Holding up the hem of my gown so I didn't trip over it, I walked across the small dressing room located on the side of the church. I then sat on the long wooden church pew that had been placed in front of a huge stained glass window. Looking down at the object in my hand, I instantly recognized the near perfect hand writing in which my name had been written. My heart began to thump faster in my chest as I was taken back to a Valentine's Day long ago. Four years ago to be exact.

_It was February 1st 2007, two weeks before the winter formal dance that was set to take place on Valentine's Day, during our senior year in high school. I'd had a crush on Edward since the sixth grade. His sparkling green eyes, unique lopsided grin, his messy auburnish brown hair, and his lean but muscular build were the things that all the girls at Forks High School admired about him. But I knew him for far more than just the superficial exterior things that caused them all to throw themselves at him on a daily basis. _

_He was sweet, caring, charming, good mannered, honest, smart, loyal, a true gentleman and despite all the girls throwing themselves at him, he was down to earth and never conceited. In fact he didn't relish in their attention at all. That wasn't to say he didn't date, because he'd had a couple of girlfriends over our stint in high school. But he never gloated about his good looks or cared that he could have had any girl he wanted. So when he asked me to attend the Valentine's Day dance with him, I was beyond thrilled. Shocked, but thrilled._

_I remembered laughing at Alice when I'd told her he probably just couldn't decide who to ask so I was his safety net. I wasn't his sister by blood but I'd be as safe as taking his sister. No expectations, just friends having fun together. But Alice quickly shot down that theory, asking me if I'd taken a look at myself in the mirror lately. Going on about how I may have been a late bloomer, but I had finally blossomed and her brother had taken notice. Not thoroughly convinced of what she was telling me, yet wanting to have some hope that it could be true, I decided to just let the chips fall where they may. _

_On the night of the dance I'd been a nervous wreck, not really knowing what to expect. Alice and I got ready together at her house, while Edward was over at Jasper's house; his best friend and Alice's boyfriend. When they picked us up, I could see I wasn't the only one who was nervous. Edward who was normally calm and comfortable under any circumstance, was now fidgety and slightly on edge. His constantly running his hand through his hair was his tale-tell sign. But the other thing I remembered was how he looked at me differently, almost like he was seeing me for the first time. _

_Later that night, he had led me outside to the bridge that crossed the pond located behind the inn where the dance was being held. Walking across the wooden planks of the bridge with nothing more than the full moon and sparkling stars in the sky to light our way, we stopped near the middle and watched a few lily pads float on the surface. _

_The soothing sounds of the water flowing below us was interrupted when he whispered my name, "Bella." _

_I turned and looked up at him. He never said anything else; instead he leaned down and kissed me for the first time. It had been soft, sweet and magical. Foot popping as my grandmother Marie would've said. It was when he kissed me the second time, with much more fervor than he had the first, that I realized what I felt was so much more than just a crush. I was in love with him. And for the first time in the six years I'd been harboring my emotions for him, I believed that he might just feel the same way about me._

_We never defined or placed a label on our relationship, but from that night on we were inseparable. That spring had been the most amazing time of my life. As the weeks flew by we grew closer and though neither of us ever spoke the words, I knew he loved me too. I could feel it and he showed me in everything he did for me and how he acted towards me. But all too soon, May came and as graduation loomed before us, Edward received a letter from Harvard, accepting him into an early summer welcome program only offered to a select few top students across the country. I knew he would go, there was never any doubt and I wouldn't have wanted him to do anything differently. He had worked hard for his grades and deserved the honor._

_So when that afternoon, in the first week of June came, I hugged and kissed him goodbye at the security gate of SeaTac airport, I knew both of our lives would be forever changed. Throughout the summer and into the first few weeks of the fall semester, we kept in touch. He was having the time of his life at Harvard, while Alice and I were getting settled in at The University of Washington. But as time went on and we both got engrossed in our studies, our emails and phone calls grew further and further apart until they eventually stopped. _

I was jarred from my memories by the ringing of the church bells signaling it was half past twelve. In just thirty short minutes I was supposed to be walking down the aisle to start a new life with Mike. Mike and I had met my second year in college. He was sweet and he treated me like a princess. But even as my feelings for him grew there were times when I'd always wondered what if. What if I'd told Edward how I truly felt about him? Would he have thought I was silly and that it was impossible for me to love him in such a short time? Would he have said those three words back to me and changed his plans or begged me to go with him? Or would he have been filled with remorse that we had started something that maybe should have been left alone due to the circumstances? I guess in the long run the fear that maybe he wouldn't return the sentiment, or that it would influence his future somehow other than he'd originally planned on was why I'd never spoken the words out loud to him. I'd also held onto the hope that if we were meant to be, we'd somehow find a way to do so.

Knowing my time was running short and that my father and Alice would be knocking on the door at any time, I began to tear open the envelope to see what was inside. I felt as if my heart would pound through my chest as I removed the heart shaped card from the ripped paper. It was red velvet with raised gold embossed lettering in some unknown to me elegant font that said, _Be Mine_.

A huge lump formed in my throat as I read the words he'd written inside.

_Bella, _

_I've never forgotten __**our**__ Valentine's Day._

_Tell me I'm not too late. Tell me you can still be mine._

_Love, Edward_

All sorts of questions began running through my head. What was I supposed to do? My head was telling me to go on and walk down that aisle and marry Mike like I'd planned to, that there was a reason Edward had never given the card to me himself_. Maybe the card was old. From sometime in the past when he'd been home. _That thought was shot out of the water as I turned the card over and saw it was printed this year. I knew what I had to do. I had to know. I couldn't go through with my marriage and have lingering questions about "what ifs" and "what might have beens". It wasn't fair to me and it certainly wasn't fair to Mike.

I looked down at my left hand where my engagement ring sat. I turned the band round and round like it was some magical device and would give me the answers I was searching for. But I then realized if I wasn't sure now that this ring belonged on my finger then I never would be. I had never truly given my heart to Mike. It had always been in Boston with Edward. I slipped my engagement ring off and set it on the vanity top. I waited for the remorse or even regret to come but it didn't. Instead I felt free and relived and even more eager to find Edward. Even if he were gone, I knew now for sure that I would be making a horrible mistake today if I were to go through with the wedding. My whole heart wasn't in it and it had never been. I had been merely trying to fill a void that could obviously only be filled by one person. Now certain of what I needed to do, I sped across the dressing room as fast as I could in the cumbersome layers of my wedding gown. I flung open the door to find Alice so I could enlist her help. I had to find Edward. But as if she already knew, she was standing on the other side of the wooden barrier waiting for me.

"Where is he, Alice?"

Her answer was not what I wanted to hear. "I don't know. He was packed and out of the house before I was up this morning. When I went to say goodbye to him was when I found the card. Why, Bella? What does the card say?"

"That doesn't matter right now. I have to find him before it's too late. You must have some idea," I pleaded with her.

"Honestly, I wish I did. All I know is that despite him being gone, his flight wasn't supposed to leave until this evening," she insisited.

Thinking for a minute, I remembered the one place Edward and I had always liked to go to for peace and quiet away from everything and everyone. I knew where he'd be if he were still here. I smiled at Alice and said, "I think I might know where he is. We used to go there sometimes. Give me the keys to your car, Alice."

"What?" she exclaimed.

"The keys, Alice. You know, to your car. I know you love your Porsche, but I have to go. Now."

She hurried over to the vanity and dug through her bag and finally pulled her hand out with the keys clasped tightly in it.

"I need you to hold down the fort for me here. I know it's wrong and I'm asking a lot, but—"

"Just go, I got this," she said while tossing the keys to me. I grabbed my purse and was out the door.

I sped through the streets of Forks confident I wouldn't get pulled over since the chief of police—my father—and over half of the police force were at the church I'd just abandoned.

As I hit the brakes a little a harder than I intended, the car skidded to a stop. I had bunched my wedding gown all around me while getting in the car and now trying to untangle it so I could climb out was no easy task.

When I managed to get out of the tiny driver's seat of Alice's Porsche, I realized that had been easy compared to walking along the wooded path in this contraption known as my gown. Thank goodness I still had on my slippers and hadn't put my heels on yet.

I hoisted the dress up as far as I could and started up the trail. I had no clue if Edward would even be here, but we had come here to get away from everyone a few times that spring all those years ago. So I held on to hope.

Coming to the end of the trail, I had to stop and catch my breath for a minute. It had been hard to get up it, having gotten my dress caught on bushes and branches several times. I took a few steps out into the clearing. Gone were the wild flowers that had been here the last time I had visited. The tall wild grasses were brown and had been flattened by the many rounds of snow we had encountered over the winter. There were still some small patches of snow remaining in a few shady spots.

My eyes scanned the clearing and woods around it for any sign of Edward. There had been a jeep down where I had parked, but I had no clue as to whose it was. It could be a hunter or a hiker for all I knew. The longer I stood there looking around and not seeing anything indicating Edward was here or even had been here, the more I felt like I may have been horribly wrong. If it had been summer there may have been a chance he was lying unseen in the tall grasses and flowers that grew in abundance, but not now. It was clear that I was the only one here. As I walked back down the trail at a much slower pace than I'd used to go up it, I was again hit with the realization that even if Edward weren't here, the fact that I had so willing run out on my husband to be, said a lot about whether or not I should be marrying him. I had simply been trying to fill a void that was left four years ago. I hadn't meant to and I knew Mike was going to be devastated, but better now than two or three years from now.

Feeling emotionally drained and lost, the tears began to stream down my face. By the time I was back at the road, I was crying so hard I could hardly see straight. This was why when I saw Edward leaning against the jeep parked a few feet from Alice's Porsche; I thought I was imagining it.

I stopped and stood there staring at him. His expression was one of confusion. Just like I was having a hard time believing it was him standing there in front of me, he was having a hard time believing he was seeing me as well. But as if it simultaneously clicked inside us that we were both really there, we rushed towards one another. I could hardly breathe I was crying so hard. And when he took me in his arms and lifted me off the ground, clutching me to his chest as if his life depended on it, all I could do was wrap my arms around his neck and sob helplessly.

After what seemed like hours, but was only minutes in reality, Edward set me back down. I gazed up at him and was about to ask him all the questions I had been plagued with since reading his card, but he gently placed his fingers against my lips and shushed me. He then led me over to where the two vehicles were parked. While we had been standing there clinging to each other, the winds had picked up like a storm was rolling in.

Once we reached his jeep, he quickly dug his keys out of his pocket and unlocked and opened the passenger door for me. Due to the height of the jeep, Edward hoisted me up into the seat. I would have probably needed help even if I wasn't in a wedding gown. After shutting my door, he hurried around the back of the vehicle to the driver's side door and hopped in as well.

As if someone had rung a bell signaling it was the start of a race, we both blurted out a jumble of words at the same time. Me telling him I thought he was gone and I was too late and him asking me what I was doing there.

"You first," I mumbled through my chattering teeth as a shiver rocked through my body. Running off in a strapless gown was not a good idea, but all I had been able to think about at the time was finding Edward. Noticing that I was cold, Edward pulled off the worn leather jacket he had on and wrapped it around me. I slipped my arms into the warm sleeves of the jacket and was instantly enveloped in his scent. It was so much better than I had remembered.

Edward reached over and took my hand in his and held onto it like he was afraid I'd run away if he didn't. "Bella," he rasped. "Why are you here, how did you find me? I—I thought you were getting married today." He had a pained expression on his face as if the last few words had been excruciating for him to say.

I held up the card that I still had clutched in my other hand.

He raised one eyebrow at me as he asked, "Where did you get that?" I could see him trying to put the pieces together and as I was about to answer him, the start of a smile formed on the corner of his mouth as he whispered, "Alice."

I nodded and smiled as I thought of the lengths my best friend would go for those she loved. Clearing my throat I finally found my voice. "She said she found it in your room when she went to tell you goodbye this morning."

He ran his hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head a few times. "She gave it to you, and you ran out on your wedding to come find me?"

I nodded once again which prompted his next question, "Why, Bella? Why would you do that?"

"Oh, Edward, don't you know?" I cried. "This," I said as I held up the card again, "I've never forgotten either, and I had to know if you really meant what you said in here. If after all this time you still want me? I had to know if you love me."

He sat there not uttering a word, looking completely stunned as if he'd been zapped by a taser. I felt a wave of panic beginning to well up inside me, causing my chest to constrict in fear. What if he had changed his mind and that was why he never gave me the card? I couldn't handle his silence anymore. If I had come here to find him today all for nothing, I had to know now.

"Edward, please say something. Did you change your mind? Is that why you didn't give me the Valentine?"

"Jesus, Bella. No. I'm…I just can't believe it. I can't believe you're here. All these years, I have never been able to get you out of my mind. I've been thinking that you had just moved on… I just—"

I interrupted him. "I know, it's crazy, its mind boggling, insane even. But it's true. I'm here." I stopped for a minute to catch my breath and think of the best way to explain it all to him. When I thought I had gathered all my thoughts, I set the card and Alice's keys I'd been holding in my right hand down on the dash and wrapped my hand around his that was holding my left one and I began again.

"I tried to move on. After you first left, those first few weeks were so hard. I know we talked occasionally or emailed but it just wasn't the same. Soon I became engrossed in packing for college, and then once I was at school the hectic job of adjusting to the new schedule and classes became all encompassing. I imagine it was much the same for you. But you were always there in the back of my mind. If seeing Alice, your twin, everyday wasn't enough of a reminder, I had a barrage of what ifs that kept haunting me, making me wonder if I'd told you how I really felt if you would have felt the same way too."

A new wave of tears began to run down my cheeks as I searched his eyes for some sign that he had those same thoughts and feelings too. "It's the one thing I've never been able to stop wondering about after all these years," I whispered.

"Oh, Bella," he said releasing my hands and lifting his to cup my face. "I've been so stupid, selfish, and most of all a coward." He pulled me over the center counsel onto his lap. It was as if I was too far away and he needed me closer to him, even though we both struggled with the copious amounts of dress material between us.

His eyebrows scrunched, forming thick lines on his forehead. "I was so stupid because I never told you how I felt all those years ago and for not begging you to wait for me to finish school. When I stepped onto that plane, Bella, I must have gotten up out of my seat three or four times, ready to run after you and beg you to transfer to a school closer to Harvard. On my last attempt, when I'd finally made up my mind to really do it, just as I got to the door, the stewardess had shut it and turned the lever to lock it. I saw it as a sign and resigned myself to being too late."

He let out a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair a few times. I smiled as I remembered how often I had seen him do that in the past. I had frequently teased him that his hair wouldn't always be such a mess if he'd keep his hands out of it for five minutes.

"So many things I wished I would have done differently back then. I could kick myself now when I think about all the time I wasted. I was selfish, because I didn't want to be rejected if you didn't feel the same way as I did then, and a coward for the same reason. I was so afraid you'd say no that it was too long to wait, or too far to move, even if you did feel the same as I did. So I let you go, foolishly thinking you'd move on and be happy without me. But here you are, looking more beautiful than ever." He paused and leaned in closer to me. His face was just a few inches from mine, so close I could feel his warm breath caress my lips. "Tell me, Bella, say it now, say what you wanted to all those years ago?" he begged as his eyes bore into mine.

I slid my hands up his arms, until they were resting over his hands that still gently held my face. "Hey I made mistakes too. I could have told you. But when you left I always thought that was how it was meant to be, that if you felt the same way as I did it would somehow workout, that we'd find our way back to each other. After a while I guess I just gave up hope and _tried_ to move on. But my feelings never changed. I love you, Edward. I loved you then, I've loved you all these years, and I love you now."

I could feel my heart thumping in my chest as I waited for him to respond. He didn't make me wait long. "Isabella Marie Swan, I love you too. So much."

In the next instant, his lips were on mine. I slipped my arms around his neck as my trembling lips parted when his tongue brushed against them, asking for permission to enter. We continued to kiss with unrestrained eagerness. Our tongues and lips dancing together until an explosive boom of thunder startled us apart.

Edward gazed into my eyes and brushed back the hair that had fallen from the intricate pins Alice had carefully placed in it earlier.

"Bella, I won't make the same mistake twice. Come with me. This is our day, Valentine's Day belongs to us and no one else. Marry me and move to Boston with me. Or tell me to stay. I don't care, but I won't let you go again."

"Yes ,yes, yes. I don't want to let you go again either. But you're supposed to leave today and I need to pack and I have to tell my parents and oh, God, what am I going to tell my parents and I owe—"

"Hey. Calm down and breathe for a minute, Bella. I don't think you completely understand what I'm saying. I want to marry you today. As soon as possible," he explained and I could see that he was serious. But I just didn't know how.

"I want that too, but today, Edward? That's impossible. I mean where are we going to live and then there is my job and…how are we going to do this?" I said looking into his gorgeous green eyes. I really wanted to marry him, to be his wife, but I was just overwhelmed with how we were going to merge our two lives that were currently on opposite sides of the country together. I found myself hoping that he didn't think I was having second thoughts. I couldn't blame him if he did. I had already run out on one wedding today.

"Nothing is impossible in Vegas. We can fly to Vegas and get married tonight. Valentine's Day is _our_ day. Marry me tonight and we'll fly back here tomorrow. Then we'll take everything else one step at a time. I still have one more week before I have to start my new job and I have an apartment that is more than big enough for the two of us. My parents bought it for me as a graduation gift, so where we live isn't a problem. And hell, I haven't even unpacked yet so we can do it together and make it ours. We can take that time to get you packed and handle anything you need to do. We'll talk with your parents and deal with the rest tomorrow. The only issue would be your job. I can support us both, it might be a little tight, but it's enough for us to get by on until you found something new. But today…right now…all I want to do is make you mine. So if you aren't sure, if this is too much too fast, you have to tell me now. I just know I can't let you go again."

I hadn't even thought of Vegas. It had never occurred to me. . And once he'd spelled it all out for me, I began to see how we could really make it work. As I thought about it, it hit me that even my job might not be as big a deal as I thought it would be. Proof reading manuscripts could be done anywhere, why did I have to be behind some little desk in an office to do it. I would have to talk to my boss, but I was pretty certain she might be willing for us to mail the manuscripts back and forth. I was suddenly flooded with images of the life Edward and I would have together and I loved what I saw. I had never imagined myself getting married in some gaudy little chapel by an Elvis impersonator in Vegas. However in the long run no matter what kind of wedding it was, the end result would be the same. Edward and I would be husband and wife, tied to each other by the bonds of holy matrimony for the rest of our lives.

Resolute in my decision, I smiled brightly at him. "Ok. Let's go to Vegas, baby" I said, planting a kiss on his lips.

"Are you sure? You deserve so much more and—"

I nodded vigorously and kissed him again. A huge smile lit up his perfect face when I said, "Yes. I'm sure. I've never been more certain about anything."

"Then let's get to the airport. We want to get a flight before the storm hits."

Edward asked for the keys to Alice's car. I handed them to him and watched as he jumped out of the jeep and grabbed his luggage from the backseat and put it in the trunk of Alice's car. I also had him grab my purse off the front seat. There was no point in bringing his luggage with us to Vegas and having to check it in and then wait to retrieve it. It would only serve to slow us down. Climbing back into the jeep, he then started it and once we were on the main road, he picked up his cell phone to call Alice and let her know where to find her car. There was no answer so he left her a message.

As we drove out of Forks, we talked some more. I told him how when I didn't see him in the meadow I thought it had been too late that he'd left already or had never been there to begin with. He explained that he had come back down the north trail from the meadow and when he reached his jeep he was shocked to find Alice's car there. Plus anyone who knew Alice would immediately know it as hers, especially since it was the only yellow Porsche in Forks with license plates that said "TNKRBEL" on them.

Edward went on to say how he had thought Alice had come after him for some reason and he was just about to call her when he looked up and saw me standing at the end of the southern trail. He filled me in on how he hadn't even realized that he had dropped the card until I showed it to him. We both agreed that it was meant to be. That fate was finally intervening and righting the mistake we had both made all those years ago. This was us finding our way back to each other like I had hoped we would all those years ago.

Edward and I had been on the road to the airport for about an hour when we saw the sign for an outlet mall located just off the next exit. I was familiar with it, having been there several times with my mom and Alice.

"Hey we need to get off at the next exit," I told Edward.

"Um, sure. You need to use the restroom or something?" he asked in a confused voice.

"No. I have to get out of this dress. I can't go through the airport in it and wear to Vegas to marry you. Especially since it's a dress I was supposed to marry someone else in. It just feels all kinds of wrong. Not to mention it's been torn in several places from me walking through the woods to the meadow."

"Shit. I'm sorry, I never even thought of that," he said as he raised my left hand and kissed it.

"Nothing to be sorry for," I said.

After a quick stop at one store to grab a change of clothes and shoes, we were back on our way to the airport. Three hours and lots of weird looks later, we had just parked the jeep outside the airports rental car entrance, when Edward's cell phone had begun to ring. I could only imagine the crazy thoughts that must have been going through the minds of the people who had seen us in the store. Me in my torn and tattered wedding gown, my hair falling out of the pins and Edward's leather jacket added to the mix, must have been quite an amusing sight to take in. Of course there was also Edward's shit eating grin he couldn't seem to wipe off his face. Not that I'd want him too. And as crazy as rushing off to Vegas to be married by midnight might seem, I knew I was doing the right thing. I felt it in my heart and had no reservations at all. In fact I was downright giddy and couldn't wait to be Mrs. Edward Anthony Cullen. My only regret was that our parents and Alice wouldn't be there to share it with us.

"Hello," Edward said as he answered his phone.

I could hear a high pitched voice talking a million miles an hour on the other end and even though I couldn't make out a word that was being said, I knew it had to be Alice.

My suspicion was confirmed when he said, "Alice. Calm down and let me talk for a minute and I'll tell you where she is. Yes, I saw her. No, she's here with me."

I knew instantly what Alice had asked him next by his answer. "We're at the airport. No she's coming with me. No not yet. We're going to Vegas first."

His comments were immediately followed by a screeching high pitched squeal of "Oh my God!" so loud that I could hear it plain as day.

"Yes, Alice, we are. No we aren't waiting until tomorrow, it has to be today. Look I have to return the jeep to the rental agency and get Bella and me on a flight. Do you have the name and number for Mom and Dad's travel agent? Ok that would be great. I love you too Ali and thanks."

"What do you need a travel agent for?" I asked as we walked into the rental place.

"I am hoping that she will be able to book us some place nice. As much as I am willing to marry you anywhere, I really don't want to have it in one of those drive through Elvis dives. You—no _we_ deserve so much better than that, Bella."

I stopped where I was, causing him to do the same when he realized I wasn't moving any more. "I would marry you right here in this parking lot, Edward Cullen. After all this time, that is the only thing that matters to me."

"God I love you so much," he said swooping in to kiss me.

"I love you too. Now take me to Vegas and make me your wife," I ordered with a wide smile.

"Yes ma'am," he replied with an equally big smile.

As we stepped up to the ticket counter to purchase our tickets, I was grateful my police chief father had drilled it into my head to never drive without my license and I had grabbed my purse in my rush to run off and find Edward. Without it I'd have no ID and wouldn't be flying anywhere, much less getting married.

We were lucky there was a flight that was leaving in just under an hour. The clerk printed our boarding passes and handed them to us along with Edward's credit card he'd used to pay for them.

While walking from the ticket counter to the security checkpoint, Edward got a call from his parents' travel agent. Alice had apparently taken it upon herself to explain the situation to her and the two of them worked together to pull together everything Edward and I would need to get married tonight. Knowing we wouldn't be arriving in Las Vegas until nine-thirty at night and would need a place to sleep, Alice and the agent, Heidi, had booked us in the penthouse suite at the Bellagio Hotel. Edward said Alice had tried for the honeymoon suite but given it was Valentine's Day it was already booked. There would be a limo waiting to pick us up at the airport to take us to the hotel where a tux and dress would be waiting for us. All we had to do was get ourselves to the hotel to check-in and then to the chapel by eleven thirty tonight.

Once Edward hung up the phone from Heidi, he called Alice and we both thanked her profusely. Not only had Alice helped us with the arrangements in Vegas, but she had briefly explained to my parents what she was comfortable with, and let them know that I'd be back tomorrow and would explain it all. After saying goodbye to her, the two of us then headed to the security gates. Edward and I looked at each other as if we were both thinking about the last time we had stood at this gate together. But this time neither one of us would be going off without the other. This time we were going together. After having to take the time to remove the remaining pins from my hair made it through security with no trouble and headed straight to our gate to wait for the plane to board.

By the time the plane took off, I was feeling like Alice; I bounced and twitched with excitement during the entire two hours of the flight. And judging by the amount of times I saw Edward raise his hand to his hair, he was feeling it too.

"Look over there," I said to Edward as we made our way through the terminal after landing in Las Vegas. I had spotted the driver of our limo. He was standing by the entrance to the terminal with a sign that had "Cullen" written on it. And from that moment on, the time seemed to go by at a lightning fast pace.

We checked into the hotel and were escorted up to the suite. Apparently it was done for all the guests who stayed in any of their suites. Upon entering the room, the hotel employee showed us around and waved his hand, gesturing to the two garment bags hanging on the closet door. He said they had been delivered a short time ago and pointed out that there was a note attached.

Edward thanked him for his help and after giving him a tip the man left.

"Shall we?" Edward asked as he took my hand and pulled me towards the closet.

I removed the note from the bag and read what it said.

_Edward and Bella, _

_I knew the day would come when the two of you would be grateful to have a professional shopper in the family. _

_A gift from Jazz and me. We love you both!_

_Love,_

_Tink_

"Remind me to get Alice something really nice once we are all settled in Boston," Edward said as he read the note over my shoulder.

I nodded in agreement and then said, "Ok we don't have much time. So you need to go get ready in the other room."

I tried to shoo him out of the room so I could shower and get dressed. It was close to ten now so we really didn't have a lot of time. The front desk clerk had told us our reservation in the chapel was for eleven-thirty.

Before he left, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. Kissing me hard and passionately, he then whispered, "I love you, soon to be Mrs. Cullen."

"And I you, so much," I replied with another kiss.

Walking into the bathroom, I once again felt the presence of my best friend. She had known exactly what toiletries and makeup products I would need and had them sitting on the vanity in a gift basket.

I quickly showered and put on a small amount of makeup. After drying my hair and leaving it to hang in its natural waves, I made my way back into the bedroom to dress. Taking the dress out of the garment bag, I saw that Alice had indeed thought of everything. Inside the garment bag was also a supply of underwear, shoes, the works. I was also very happy when I saw that Alice had chosen a dress that was much more in line with my own taste. The dress had what I would call a Grecian style to it. It was strapless with an empire waist and bodice. There was intricate beading along the waist and the center of the bodice. It had a sweetheart neckline with a gathered bust. The skirt portion of the gown hung from the bodice flowing loosely to pool slightly around my feet. It was beautiful and I felt beautiful in it.

Fifteen minutes later, dress on and ready to go, I exited the bedroom and was met with the vision of Edward in a tux.

Everything else around him faded into a blur. He was drop dead gorgeous. Even more handsome than he had been on that fateful Valentine's Day four years ago. I couldn't take my eyes off him and as I got closer to him I could see his eyes were sparkling with emotion. He was simply stunning, there was just no other way to describe him. The dark color of his tux jacket highlighted all the red and brown hues that blended perfectly to create his unique shade of hair. Auburnish or bronze had always been the best way to clarify the color. From the way his jacket hung on the expanse of his broad shoulders to the way his pants seemed to cling in all the right places, he was perfect and it left me reeling with butterflies dancing inside me. It had been years since I felt this way. This was how I was supposed to feel on my wedding day.

Edward took my hand and spun me, taking in my appearance. As I came to a stop and looked up at him, his face broke into a heartbreaking smile.

"You should see yourself, Love, there just aren't enough words to describe how utterly and insanely beautiful you are tonight. Perfection doesn't even come close to being adequate."

He took my left hand and raised it to his lips. Kissing my ring finger he said, "I've been informed there is a jewelry shop here in the hotel. Perhaps if we hurry we can find something to adorn this very lovely hand of yours."

"Edward, we don't have to do that now, we can get rings whenever. As long as I know you're mine, that's all that matters to me."

"Well, then I guess I'm just a bit more selfish than you because I want there to be no doubt by anyone who might lay eyes on you that you are forever taken," he said softly as he held me in his arms.

"Then who am I do deny you you're every wish?" I smiled and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"You are making them all come true tonight. Now let's go before we are late to our own wedding."

He grabbed the room key and slipped it in his pocket and then took my hand in his and led me out of the room.

A few minutes later we walked into the door of Tesorini Jewelers. Edward quickly explained the urgency of our situation and the gentleman working there was extremely happy to assist us. I didn't want anything flashy so when I saw the platinum band with a single row of diamonds around it, I knew it was the one. Edward chose a simple wide platinum band and after assuring they fit and paying for them, we were off to the chapel.

The chapel was small but not in a cramped or confined sort of way. It was cozy and sweet. There were tall stands with large flower arrangements displayed on them, three rows of white wooden pews on each side of the main aisle, and two nearly floor to ceiling pastel colored stained glass windows at the front of the chapel.

We were greeted by a woman who introduced herself as Kate. She went over the process with us and led us to the front of the room. After explaining everything, she informed us that the person who had made the arrangements for us had provided most of the information needed for the paper work and we just had to fill in a few blanks and confirm the rest along with providing them with a copy of our ID's so that we could begin. She left us alone for a few minutes and then returned with two men. The first one she introduced as Stefan, who along with her would serve as our witnesses, and the other an older Italian looking man as Mr. Demetri, the minister who would perform the ceremony.

We were instructed on where to stand and the ceremony began. The minister went through the traditional vows and Edward and I also spoke a few words to each other, saying how lucky we each felt to have found each other once again and we promised to never be afraid to tell each other how we felt from this moment on.

With just a few minutes to spare before midnight, we were pronounced husband and wife. After a heart stopping kiss, and whispered words of love, we signed necessary documents and took advantage of the photo package they offered. We knew we'd want them to share this moment with our family.

Before we knew it, we found ourselves standing back at the entrance to our suite. Edward slid the key into the lock on the door. I took a step forward as soon as he opened the door, but was stopped when Edward caught me by the hand and asked, "Just what do you think you are doing?" He had a somewhat scolding yet playful tone to his voice.

I turned to face him, while being careful of the foot he had bracing the door open. Sliding my hands up his chest and resting them on his shoulders, I rose up on my toes and kissed him softly. "Well Mr. Cullen, I thought I'd spend the rest of the night getting to know my husband a bit better, if you know what I mean." I winked at him and leaned into him as I waited for his reaction.

He didn't disappoint. Sweeping me up in his arms and practically growling, he said, "We'll spend hours doing just that, Mrs. Cullen, but we will do it the proper way. And we'll start with me carrying you over the threshold."

I giggled as he carried me into the suite and turned around allowing me to lock the door. My giggles were silenced when Edward began to place soft kisses along the bare skin of my neck and shoulder as he carried me into the bedroom. Sitting on a tray next to the bed, we found a chilled bottle of champagne and a note from the hotel, congratulating us on our nuptials.

Edward popped the cork, sending it flying through the room and landing somewhere unseen. He poured some for the both of us and after handing me mine, he said, "To us and to you, My Forever Valentine."

As we tapped our glasses together, I added, "To us and to today, just the first of a lifetime of Valentine's Days we will share."

After we both had a sip of our bubbly drink, Edward took my glass and set it along with his on the bedside table. Pulling me into his arms, he gazed into my eyes and whispered, "I never thought this day would come. I've dreamt of you being mine again for so long. I love you, Bella."

"I love you too and I'm yours for forever now."

His lips covered mine and I felt myself being moved backwards until the back of my legs touched the bed. We continued kissing as Edward's hands slid up my back and stopped at the zipper of my gown. He slowly lowered the zipper and allowed the dress to fall into a puddle at my feet. He separated from me and turned to pull down the blankets on the bed. Facing me again, he lifted me and placed me in the center of it. I watched with a hunger I had never felt before as he removed his tux. I wanted to reach forward and help him undress, but found myself frozen in place, completely captivated by the image of him removing his clothes. He was spectacular. Nervous and excited all at the same time, I caught myself biting my bottom lip in anticipation of what was to come. Clad in only his boxers, he crawled up on the bed next to me.

Hovering over me on his hands and knees, our eyes locked and his green orbs were darker than I'd ever seen them as they burned with desire. As I laid in a semi reclined position, propped against the many pillows on the bed, Edward whispered, "God, Bella, I have dreamt of you in this way for many years. You can't imagine how wonderful it is to know that it's finally coming true. I am so happy tonight will be the first night for us, and that it didn't happen all those years ago. This is how it was meant to be…special."

My heart was racing, threatening to jump right out of my chest. He leaned forward and with a featherlike touch, his lips brushed the top mine. I pushed forward to feel more of him, wanting to taste the sweetness of his lips, but he pulled back slightly. "Patience, my beautiful wife. I only get to have one wedding night with you. One first time with you. We have all night, let's make it one to remember." His beaming smile lit up his face and my heart stuttered at his sincerity. I lay back against the pillows and traced my left hand down his sculpted chest through the light matt of hair that covered it. "I love you so much Edward. Make love to me, my darling husband."

Edward's kisses began to move down to the swell of my breast. Sitting back on his knees, he gently tugged me forward and slid his hands behind my back allowing him to unfasten my bra. He tossed it over his head and chuckled in a low sexy tone that sent chills down my spine, when he heard it smack the wall. His lips followed his fingers as he toyed with one hard nipple and then licked and sucked all around it. I gasped and arched my back off the bed as he took the tender flesh in his mouth and began to squirm as I felt myself becoming aroused as I had never been before.

As he kissed his way down between my breasts and across my belly button, he hooked his hands onto my panties and pulled them off. Edward then proceeded to memorize every inch, indent, pucker, and mark on my body. There was no spot left untouched by him. If he wasn't using his lips, he used his tongue, his fingers, and even his teeth at times and I had never felt more cherished and loved than I had in this moment. He had me wound tight, my body felt like a tanker of kerosene that had been lit on fire and Edward was the match. I sure I would combust at any moment.

I lost track of time, hours could have flown by, I was so wrapped up in my husband and the pleasure he was bringing me. Edward paused long enough to raise himself up and remove his boxers. I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he stood on his knees before me in his naked splendor. Crawling back up my body, he straddled my right leg. I could feel his hard erection on my thigh and raised my leg rubbing it against him and causing him to moan. As I did, there was no mistaking how well endowed he was. His lips were on mine again, hard and eager as his tongue slipped into my mouth.

When it was my turn to bring him pleasure, I worshiped him like the God of a man he was. And now he was mine for eternity. I worked his body in much the same way he had done to mine, paying the same attention to detail as he had. Even pausing on occasion to let my lips claim his again, to show him with my kisses how much I loved him. He was mine and mine alone. I would forever be in debt to him and to the universe for making this right. Allowing us to come together, find our way back to each other. He was my home and when he finally settled over me with his pelvis resting between my thighs, I wasn't nervous or scared, I was ready to accept him fully. He had filled my heart with love. As we stared deeply in each other's eyes as he seated himself inside of me, I could only hope that my own expression mirrored his. The love and adoration that radiated from the mossy green of his eyes, made me melt.

We began to move together. At first it was slow as we adjusted to the feeling of one another. We took our time, cherishing, feeling, just loving. As both of our bodies started to roll to the edge, I pulled him closer to me and brought my hungry mouth to his. It was total nirvana happening in our union. It was definitely a love making beyond anything I had never experienced, but then again, I had never made love to the man of my dreams. The very same man who had claimed my heart and soul all those years ago. We connected on every level; body, mind, and soul. There was no doubt in my mind I could have ever experienced what I had with Edward, with anyone else. With him is where I was supposed to be.

We became a tangled mess of arms and legs as we groped and grasped in our quest to get our fill of each other. My arms went around his neck as my hands dug into his hair, tugging on it. Edward slid his arms under me, curling his hands around my shoulders for leverage as our pace picked up a bit in our increased need to reach our release.

"Oh God, Edward," I moaned. I could feel his warm breath against my neck as he nibbled and sucked on the sensitive spot behind my ear while picking up the pace of his thrusts. The feeling was beyond anything I had ever imagined as I moved with him, matching him thrust for thrust.

"Oh, Bella, you feel so fucking amazing. Mine, you are all mine."

"Forever," I panted before his lips reclaimed mine.

He continued moving within me, sometimes slow and deep and other times quick and hard, while at the same time alternating between kissing me and sucking and kissing on my neck. But soon it became faster and more frenzied.

"Edward, I'm so close," I cried out in ecstasy.

I had barely gotten the words out as he grabbed one of my legs and threw it up over his shoulder causing him to hit spots I did not even know I had. As he went deeper and deeper he gasped for air and moaned," Come with me, Bella."

All it took was a few more pumps and I was pushed over the edge. As we came, we clung to one another as the waves of passion over took our bodies. Fireworks danced behind my eyes, while Edward's mouth muffled my cries of joy.

Unwilling to let go of each other, Edward rolled us onto our sides and pulled the covers up over us. Brushing my hair back from my face, he whispered in my ear," That was beyond amazing, Mrs. Cullen. Unlike anything I ever experienced. I love you, Bella. So fucking much."

I placed a few soft kisses on his lips and murmured, "I love you too, Edward, more than I can even comprehend. You have made this the best day of my life."

"Just the first of many more to come my love."

He began kissing me once again and as the wave of desire began to build once more, I knew that this was going to be a long night. But after all this time spent longing for what once was, I was ready for my future with the man of my dreams. We would have a lot to deal with in the upcoming week, a jilted fiancée, packing and moving, my job, as well as facing our parents. While I knew our parents would be disappointed to have missed this special moment in our lives, I knew they would also understand and in the long run, they would be happy as long as we were. And as long as I had my Edward, my forever valentine, I would always be happy.

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what ya thought, I will update just as soon as I can. **

**~eternally addicted~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Good afternoon everyone, I hope you are all having a fantastic start to the weekend. Sorry for taking so long to get this to you. Thank you, My-Bella, for always being an awesome friend and PIC! Hope4more, be glad you were on vacation because I think My-Bella's red pen is in desperate need of a ink refill after this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: **

**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, plot, names, nicknames are all the property of the author. Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And Of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Now lets see what happens when Bella goes back to Forks and faces Mike for the first time since she ran off on him at the church.**

**~*Bella*~**

_**February 18, 2011**_

I woke to the sensation of warm moist lips trailing down my back. I couldn't help the wide smile that spread across my face from knowing I would get to wake up like this every morning for the rest of my life.

"Good morning," I rasped as I rolled back against Edward.

"What, I've been demoted already?" he asked. I could hear the humor in his voice and feel the smile on his lips as he placed another kiss on my bare skin.

"What do you mean demoted?" I asked and rubbed back against him some more pressing my bare rear against his morning wood, hoping to make love one more time before we headed back to Forks this morning and faced my ex-fiancée and his parents.

"Well yesterday morning you called me your sexy, stunning husband and today all I get is a good morning. I'm crushed. We haven't even been married a full week yet," he teased.

I rolled over to face him and leaned up to kiss the fake pout he had displayed on his face while at the same time I ran my hand down his chest stopping just shy of where I was sure he wanted my hand to be. _Who was I kidding, I wanted it there too._

"Oh, baby, do you need your ego stroked? Did our marathon love making session last night not show you just how sexy and stunning I think you are?"

"Mm, you can stroke my ego amongst other things, Love," he murmured as he nipped at my ear. He grasped my waist and flipped me over on my back and kissed me hard. That was all it took for us to be lost in the bliss of each other again.

**~*MFV*~**

A couple of hours later as we rushed around our hotel suite to make sure we had everything, I thought back on the talk Edward and I had, had the morning after our impromptu wedding here in Vegas. Edward had been worried about the position he had put me in by asking me to run off and marry him without going back to the church, or at least to our parents, and explaining everything first.

I assured him that he hadn't forced me or even talked me in to doing anything I didn't want to. By the end of our conversation there was no doubt in either of our minds that we had done what we needed to and what was right for us. We were both one hundred percent certain that if we had to do it all over again that we'd make the same choice without hesitating at all.

"You're gonna chew a hole through your lip if you keep that up and since I really enjoy kissing these perfect lips of yours," Edward paused mid-sentence as he walked over to me and wrapped his left arm tightly around my waist. Edward then reached up with his right hand and gently pulled my bottom lip from where it was gripped tightly between my teeth. He leaned down lightly brushing his lips against mine a few times before continuing. "I think you should stop before it's too late." I had been so lost in my thoughts I hadn't even realized that I'd been chewing on it. "What's got you gnawing away on your lip, Baby?"

"Just thinking," I said looking up into his grass green eyes and seeing the concern hovering in them. "Nervous for what's waiting for us in Forks."

Smoothing back the hair that had fallen out of my ponytail Edward told me, "I'm not gonna tell you it's going to be easy, Love. But I'm also not going to apologize for being glad Alice found that card and gave it to you or for the fact that you are now my wife and not someone else's. But what I can promise you is that no matter what happens this afternoon, we will get through it together. We are together and nothing or no one is going to change that. Nothing anyone says today is going to change the fact that we are married and are going to spend the rest of our lives together. You know that right?"

"I do."

A beaming smile spread across his face as I spoke the words that had bound us to each other just a few days ago. "There are only three other words I enjoy hearing you say more than those two."

"I love you," I replied with a smile of my own, knowing exactly what those three words were that he wanted to hear.

"And there they are," he said as his smile became impossibly wider. "I love you too, Bella Cullen."

We stood there in each other's arms, kissing and relishing in the last few minutes we had of our short but wonderful honeymoon.

**~*MFV*~**

Later that afternoon, after sleeping through most of the four hour flight, we drove down the winding road of U.S. 101 on our way to Edward's parents' house so that I could, as Alice had teased, "face the music". I watched the never-ending line of trees go by as I thought about how I was extremely disappointed for my and Edward's time in Las Vegas to come to an end. I was grateful we had gotten more time there than we had thought we would, but it had been such a blissful time for us I didn't want it to come to an end.

Instead of flying back to Forks the next morning like we had originally planned when we'd flown in to Las Vegas to ensure we were married on Valentine's Day, Edward and I spent three days there as a gift from his parents. They had called us early the following morning and while they hadn't been thrilled with how we'd handled things or the fact that they had not been able to witness us getting married, they had been happy we were together. They had understood the magnitude of the love we felt for each other and how important it had been to us that we get married on Valentine's Day.

Edward and I had thoroughly enjoyed the little slice of heaven his parents had allowed us to have, even though we'd only ventured out of our suite at the Bellagio a few times to lounge by the pool and then the one time we had gone out to dinner and a show. We knew there were many sights to see in Vegas but we'd had a hard time keeping our hands off of each other, so spending the time making love on just about every surface of the suite we could had been fine with us. After all isn't that what newlyweds did? Not to mention the fact we had both felt like we had four years of lost time to make up for. However, before we knew it, our time was up.

When Carlisle and Esme had called us a couple of days ago, we'd also found out that there was an ulterior motive for them allowing us the gift of remaining in Vegas for a few days. They had wanted there to be a few days time for Mike and his family to cool down before Edward and I had to face them. Carlisle had told Edward that Mike and his parents had been beside themselves upset over my running off and he and Esme had thought it best to give them a bit of a breather first. Realistically it was me that everyone had a reason to be angry with. Edward had done nothing but profess his undying love for me and ask me to spend the rest of my life with him. Certainly the timing hadn't been ideal, but had I continued to deny my feelings for Edward and subsequently my lack of them for Mike, the fallout of a failed marriage would have been so much worse than a canceled one. In the long run, bad timing or not, I was sure that things happening the way they had saved us all from suffering even more turmoil later on down the road.

As hurt as everyone might be, Edward and I both saw Alice finding that card and giving it to me as fate intervening and making things turn out the way they were meant to be, so I refused to be sorry for the choice I'd made. Being with Edward was where I was meant to be and the moment I had seen him at the meadow, I'd realized what had been missing from my life the past four years and I knew he felt the same way. I was extremely sorry for having hurt Mike and his parents, but I wouldn't be sorry for following my heart and marrying Edward.

However knowing I'd made the right choice for me and my future didn't help quell the rising amount of nerves that were brewing inside of me. The closer we got to Edward's parents' house, the faster my heart beat in my chest and the harder I unknowingly squeezed Edward's hand. Alice had called Edward this morning to confirm what time our flight would be landing in Seattle and to inform us that everyone would meet at her and Edward's parents' house instead of mine since there was more room at their home for everyone.

The never-ending sea of green trees continued to go by and my thoughts turned towards my future. I wanted more than anything to move past today and get to Boston and begin my new life with Edward. He was supposed to begin work at his new job next week, but after talking with his boss he was able to delay starting for an additional week. This way we would have plenty of time to get my stuff packed and shipped to his apartment and still allow for us to spend a little bit of time here with our parents without having to be rushed to get our stuff merged together in his apartment. _Our apartment_. I loved thinking about living with him and how wonderful being his wife was going to be. The extra time would also allow time for me to go see my boss and talk to her about me working from home and mailing the manuscripts I'd be editing for her back and forth between the two of us.

With the thought of moving to New England with Edward came the thought of how grateful I was that I had been reluctant to move in with Mike before the wedding. It was already going to be difficult enough to face him today, but if I had to go to his apartment and pack up my things to go off and live with another man…well… that would be so much worse than what I had to do now. Despite the fact that Mike had asked me on several occasions to move in with him, I had held back for some unknown reason. At the time I hadn't been able to figure out what it was, I'd thought I was just hanging on to the last bit of independence I was going to have before I married Mike, but now I knew what I was really holding back from was so much more. I knew now that my heart had been telling me all along that I shouldn't marry him.

"Hey, you okay?" Edward asked as he wiggled his fingers, pulling me from my thoughts and drawing my attention to how hard I was squeezing his hand.

"I'm sorry," I told him as I glanced down to where our hands were clasped together on the center counsel of the rental car. I was unable to let go of it completely though; his touch was the one thing that was soothing me and keeping me from completely freaking out.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he told me as he slowed down and pulled the car over to the side of the road.

Glancing up ahead of us, I noticed that we were only about twenty yards from the nearly hidden driveway to his parents' house. It was actually quite easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. Once the car was stopped Edward released my hand and shifted the car into park before turning to face me.

"Look, I know this isn't going to be easy for either of us, but especially not for you. Just remember what we've talked about. No matter how hard it is, we are in this together. After we get past this little bump in the road today, we can spend a couple of days with our parents, get your stuff ready to ship and then head to Boston to begin our new life together. Just you and me, Mrs. Cullen."

"Together," I said to him, feeling the reassurance of his words comfort me and help ease my nerves a bit. _Not to mention the fact I loved being called Mrs. Cullen._

"Yes," he returned with a slight smile that caused just the edges of his lips to turn up.

I smiled back at him when I saw his love for me shining in the bright green of his eyes—they sparkled like the brightest star in the night sky. It was all encompassing and filled my heart to the point of feeling like it might explode. I thought about how lucky we were to have been given this second chance. It just didn't happen to anyone. I didn't have any doubts before, but again his words and his love completely reaffirmed for me that I had made the right choice. We belonged together and no amount of grief that could ever be thrown at us once we walked through the front door of his parents' house could make me believe anything different. I felt it throughout every fiber of my being and I knew he did too. It was simple—we completed each other.

Edward's smile grew as he leaned over and kissed me. His lips were warm and moist as they melded together with mine. Right as we were about to deepen the kiss, we were startled by the blare of a car horn. Searching out the window for the car the offensive sound came from, we caught a flash of bright yellow go by before it slowed and turned into his parents' driveway. My head fell forward on to Edward's shoulder as I giggled, knowing that it was Alice and Jasper that had just gone past us.

Edward pressed a kiss to the side of my head and asked, "You ready to get this over with?"

I nodded and sat up. "The sooner the better."

After checking for oncoming traffic, Edward pulled the car back out onto the road and drove the short distance to the driveway. It was long and closed in on both sides by trees, similar to a tunnel. The tree canopy was not as thick as it was in the summer when the branches were filled with leaves, but it was still so thick it took a few minutes before the house came into view. Once we saw the house we also saw that Alice and Jasper were waiting for us next to her Porsche.

Edward got out first and walked around to my side of the car and opened my door. He reached in, taking my hand and tugging me gently to help me out of the car. Then trapping me between it and him after shutting the door, Edward held me for a few moments, encasing me in the security of his arms. Upon hearing his sister and brother-in-law approach us, he cupped my face and gave me a tender kiss that conveyed his love for me.

"Ready?" he whispered.

"Ready," I murmured back to him. Edward backed away and slipped his hand down my arm until it was linked with mine and we turned together until to face his sister and her husband Jasper.

"Hey guys," Alice said trying hard to sound chipper. I knew she was happy for us, but she also knew we were about to step in the lion's den, and for the moment that was overshadowing the joy of Edward and I being married and me officially being her sister. She hugged us both as best she could since we refused to let each other's hand go and whispered in my ear, "It'll be ok."

I nodded at her knowing that it would be, because no matter what happened here today, even if Mike and his family walked away from here hating me, it wouldn't change my feelings about being married to Edward or how much I loved him.

We slowly made our way to the house and I felt the sudden urge to flee. I got a crazy notion to write Mike some sort of Dear John letter and run off to Boston with Edward and not face anything even if it was the cowardly thing to do. However, as the rational and irrational parts of my brain warred with each other, the front door swung open and a smiling Esme was standing there to greet us. _Too late to run now_.

I felt very torn as we climbed up the porch stairs to her. She was smiling but I could also see a hint of concern on her face. It was not how I was used to seeing her. Esme Cullen had always been like a second mother to me and I was used to very warm, happy embraces from her when I saw her. It wasn't that I thought she or Carlisle were upset that I had married their son. I just knew we had put them in a very precarious position by having to invite the Newtons into their home today to deal with a canceled wedding and hurt feelings instead of celebrating my marriage to their son.

Esme quickly hugged Alice and Jasper and then moved on to Edward. He bent down and hugged his mother tightly. I heard him tell her he loved her and she told him the same and something else that I couldn't quite make out, but it sounded like something along the lines of, "took ya long enough". He nodded his head in agreement and squeezed my hand he was still holding as if it was some sort of a silent message saying, "see I told you it would be ok".

I bit my lip nervously as Esme moved over to me. Very much aware of my habit and what caused me to do it, Esme embraced me tightly and whispered in my ear, "Don't you worry, Sweetheart." She took a step back and cupped my face gently. Her face was so full of love now and it warmed my heart as I felt it radiating off her. "I always knew you and Edward belonged together and we are here for you today. Carlisle and I, as well as your parents will be here to support you and Edward today."

"I love you," I told her as we hugged again.

"I love you too, Sweetheart. I know you are worrying, I can see it in your eyes. But this is just a minor annoyance that will be nothing but a distant memory soon."

"I know and I'm ok," I said causing Edward to jerk on my arm slightly and let out a half-snort effectively calling me out on the fact that I was a nervous wreck.

"Isabella, you are forgetting that I have known you since you were eight years old. You have been running up and down the stairs of this house almost as long as Edward and Alice have. I know you as well as I do my own children, which you were always included in, it's just official now. But what I'm getting at is you don't have to hide it, Honey, it's ok to be nervous. Just remember we'll all get through this together."

"That's what I told her," Edward said wrapping his long strong arms around his mother and me, hugging us both.

"It may not happen often, but he might be right every once in a while over the course of your marriage," Esme said teasing her son. "Before we go in, I have just one more thing I want to say to you."

"Ok," Edward and I said in unison.

"It's mostly for you, Bella. Remember that your parents are in a bit of a tight spot. You know your mother is a dear friend of mine and she shares in my belief that you and Edward were always meant to be together."

"She does?"

"Yes. But don't take it the wrong way if they seem a bit subdued at first. They love you and want you to be happy, but they can't exactly jump up and down for joy in front of the Newtons since you are their daughter and the one who left Mike standing at the altar."

"Ugh," I groaned listening to her words and thinking about how Mike's parents' must be pointing the finger at my parents and giving them the "your daughter did this to our son" routine. Olivia Newton had made it no secret she was less than thrilled about Mike marrying me. She thought he belonged with a girl like Jessica Stanley who came from a more affluent family in Forks. I could only imagine the grief my parents had suffered because of what I had done. While I would never regret following my heart, I did feel a great deal of guilt over the situation I'd put my parents in.

"How are they?" I asked Esme.

She took my hand in hers and rubbed it gently to help relax me. "They're doing well considering the snotty mood Olivia is in. I think if it had been up to her she wouldn't have even bothered showing up today. So Mike and John must have really laid it on thick. And I'm not gonna lie to you, you running off and not leaving word really threw your parents to the wolves so to speak. Alice could only tell them so much until she had heard from you and Edward about what you were doing. But they love you and want you happy more than anything."

"I know they do," I told her. Edward pulled me against his side and kissed the top of my head, as if sensing I needed some more reassurance that we'd get through this okay.

"Take a deep breath and let's get this bit of unpleasant business taken care of and then we can send the Newtons on their way. After that's out of the way, Carlisle and I are going to treat us all to dinner to celebrate the addition of our new daughter to the family. Ok?"

"Ok," I answered as she hugged me once again.

We took a few steps towards the door when she stopped me and said, "Just for the record, Bella, I meant it when I said I always knew you and Edward belonged together." She then winked at me.

We made our way into the house and entering the Cullen's living room I found comfort in the familiar scenery…The family pictures, some of which included me … The fireplace where Alice and I had often roasted marshmallows … The warm taupe walls … The bright white sofa and loveseat with matching chair. I'd always loved how the white furniture provided a neutral background for the accent pillows scattered about in various jewel-toned hues, which added a punch of color and brightened the space. All of those familiar features helped to soothe me. It was my home away from home and it wrapped me in a blanket of warmth that helped calm my nerves a great deal. I had grown up in this living room, having spent as much time in it as I had my own, and being on familiar turf was a great relief to me.

The second the occupants of the room heard us, all heads snapped in our direction. I was immediately aware of Olivia Newton's angry glare on me, not that I had expected anything less from her. I was also aware of Mike's cold expression and how the hurt he was feeling had turned his normally ocean blue eyes into pools of cold, gray steel. Those eyes locked with my own and I shivered as a chill ran through me.

Feeling me shiver, Edward's hand gently tightened on mine in a silent show of love and support. I sucked in a long pull of air to steady myself in preparation of what was coming next. I closed my eyes briefly as I slowly released the air from my lungs and when I opened them a few seconds later, I focused on my parents. They had a series of mixed emotions playing on their faces. Everything from annoyance to worry, and the love I saw filling their eyes.

I noticed my father's gaze shift briefly down to where my and Edward's hands were clutched together, and how the edges of his lips were threatening to turn up into a smile. That told me everything I needed to know. If my father was on board and ready to support Edward and me, then I knew I had nothing to worry about. I just had to get on with my explanations as best I could and move past it and onto the life I was going to share with Edward.

As if sensing everyone was trying to find a place to start, Carlisle spoke up. "Look, this isn't an easy situation for any of us, so why don't we all head into the dining room for some coffee and allow Bella and Mike a few minutes alone to discuss what's happened?"

"What?" Olivia screeched. "You think I am going to leave my baby in here for her to rip his heart out again. He needs his mother's support. Frankly I don't think there is anything that little hussy can say that will make this any better. I always knew she was wrong for him, but he had to go and be stubborn like his fath—"

"Olivia," John Newton admonished as he grabbed his wife's arm and pulled her closer to him, whispering something in her ear.

"But—" she muttered out, only to be shushed by him again.

"He's a grown man, Olivia, and he is capable of listening to what Bella has to say on his own."

Olivia turned with a huff and started to storm out of the room, but stopped where she was in the doorway between the two rooms when Edward cleared his throat and started to speak. "I have something I'd like to say to everyone first."

Everyone turned their attention to Edward expect for Olivia. She remained where she was with her back to all of us.

"I know this is an incredibly difficult situation that my and Bella's actions have put us all in. While I am extremely sorry for any pain we have caused anyone, I will not apologize or feel bad about the fact that she is now married to me." With Edward's confession, I saw Mike's shoulders visibly slump and any remaining hope he may have had of luring me back to him fade away.

"I love Bella and have for many years. It was through stupid mistakes, missed chances, and a lack of speaking up and making our feelings known by both Bella and myself that ultimately put us all here in this position today. We both tried to move on and let go of that past and were never completely able to do so.

"Mike, I know this may not mean much coming from me, especially right now, but I am truly sorry you got caught up in the mistakes Bella and I made. I know she never intended to hurt you and after talking about everything with her extensively the past few days, I want you to know that her feelings for you were very real. She never purposefully led you on and her attempt to move on with you was sincere. But I also know that as genuine as her feelings were for you, the ones she's had for me all these years and still feels are stronger and ultimately what she truly wanted. Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is, I wanted to say I am sorry for my part in anyone's feelings getting hurt and any embarrassment or inconvenience this has brought to any of you."

No one made any comments about Edward's statement. The only sound heard was that of Olivia's heels clicking against the hardwood floors of the hall that lead from the room. There were a few heads that nodded in understanding, my parents and even Mike's father, John, but not a word was spoken. Whether it was from not knowing what to say or not having anything to say, I wasn't sure.

As Edward's parents made their way past us on their way out of the room, Carlisle patted Edward on the shoulder as a sign of support and Esme kissed us both on the cheek as everyone exited the room except for Mike, myself and Edward.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?" Edward asked as he turned to face me and take hold of my other hand so that we were standing facing each other with both our hands clasped together.

"I'm sure. This is something I need to do. I owe him that much—to give him whatever answers he might need."

Edward leaned down and kissed my cheek while quickly whispering he loved me and giving my hands one last squeeze before he released them and made his way into the next room with the others.

I glanced over at Mike after watching Edward disappear down the hall and began picking at my fingernails as I tried to figure out where to begin. _I'm sorry_ seemed so out of place and totally cliché even if I was truly sorry for hurting Mike.

Before I could figure out what to say, Mike was apparently ready to talk. "What am I supposed to say, Bella? What do you want me to say? Do you expect me to tell you it's ok that you left me standing in the church on _our_ wedding day to run off to marry your high school sweetheart instead? What?" He turned to stare out the window he was standing in front of as if he could no longer bare to look at me.

"No. That's not what I want or expect, Mike. You can say or ask me anything you want and I promise to answer you honestly."

He spun around quickly to face me again and chuckled sarcastically before saying, "Honest. You'll be honest with me? Don't you think it's a little late for that?"

"I'm sorry, Mike." I knew the words went nowhere to describe how bad I felt for what I'd done to him, but they had slipped out before I even realized it. At a complete loss of how to make him see I really was sorry, I then said, "I don't know what else to say. I never meant to hurt you. I know that might not be enough, or may seem really shallow right now, but it _is_ the truth." Tears had begun to trickle down my face as I became more overwhelmed by all the emotions that were coursing through me. I knew that I had hurt him by what I'd done. But for him to act as though I wasn't regretful or that I had somehow expected him to just dismiss it like it wasn't a big deal hurt, and while it hurt it also told me he didn't know me as well he should have for someone I was about to marry. It was all just so very overwhelming and crying was how I always released my stress. I swiped them away and glanced up when I heard Mike let out a long sigh.

"You know what the worst part of this all is, Bella?" he asked as he took a few steps in my direction.

"No," I whispered while shaking my head at the same time.

"It's that I believe you," he murmured in a shaky voice that conveyed the depth of turmoil he was feeling. "I didn't come here prepared to believe anything you had to say to me, but I do."

My brows furrowed slightly in shock and confusion as I looked up at him and asked, "You do?" It wasn't that Mike was an unreasonable person. He actually was a really great guy. I just figured he'd be so hurt and angry that he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else. If he were to stand here and lash out angrily at me and accuse me of never caring for him, stringing him along, just about anything other than him saying he believed me, I would have found it easy to accept.

He blew out a long gust of air and scratched the top of his head. "I'm sure there are some who would think I'm crazy, my mother one of them. But yeah, Bella, I do believe you."

"Why?" Maybe it was stupid of me to question him when he was being so incredibly understanding, but I wanted—needed to know.

He closed the distance between us and stopped when he was standing only a couple of feet in front me. He started to reach for my left hand but suddenly stopped and grabbed the right one instead. The only reason I could think of for his actions was he didn't want to see another man's ring on my finger and I couldn't blame him for that.

He toyed with my fingers for a few seconds and then began. "Because I know you, Bella. There isn't a deceitful or malicious bone in your body. You are honest to a fault, almost to the point of being unable to lie because you do it so badly. Which I guess is why I don't understand how we got into this mess in the first place."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, knowing how difficult it is for you to lie, much less lie in a believable manner, says to me that you at least had some real feelings for me. Whether it's you're your hus—Edward said, and your feelings for him were stronger than the ones for me or if you were settling I don't know. But I do believe that you never meant for this to happen."

"Oh." Again I was shocked by the level of his understanding, which only added to the guilt I felt over hurting him.

"Maybe you could clear that up for me."

"What?"

"Just what were your real feelings for me? Did you ever love me, even a little? Did you just like me a lot? Or did you just settle for second best because you thought it was all you could ever have?"

"I believe that I did love you. But maybe I was never really in love with you. I'm sorry. I know that's not what you want to hear. I thought I had buried the part of me that had always yearned for Edward. The part that always wondered what if I had told him I loved him before he'd gone to Harvard. Or even during that one summer when he came home," I told him, being as completely honest with him as I could.

"But we were already dating that summer," he pointed out.

"I know."

"So that's why you pulled away that summer," Mike said with a sound of sudden realization in his voice. "Huh."

"What do you mean I pulled away?"

"You were distant, distracted and always seemed to have something on your mind. We didn't spend as much time together and you weren't as affectionate as you normally were. It was almost as if you didn't want me to touch you, like you were afraid someone would see and then when we _were_ together it was like you were somewhere else in your head. It all makes sense now. It was all because of him. You were worried he'd see us together."

"Are you sure? Because I don't remember that."

"Yeah I'm positive. A guy knows when his usually affectionate girlfriend is suddenly not. You didn't even know it, I guess. But trust me it was there. And then when we returned to school that fall things somehow just fell back in sync for us. But I was never able to shake the feeling something was missing, even before then. It was just worse after."

"Wow," I said in shock.

"Geez, it's all making sense now," Mike said as he turned and paced back and forth across the floor a few times. "I never thought it was Cullen, but I always wondered if there was someone else that you were interested in, or never got over. I hadn't heard about you dating anyone and I never knew things were so serious between you and Cullen. But now I can totally see it."

"You can?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, could you maybe enlighten me a little?" I asked with a half-snort, making my comment sound a lot more sarcastic than I meant it too and I could instantly see a flicker of hurt skim across Mike's face. "I'm—"

"No. Don't say you're sorry again. I get it." This time it was his words that were coming out more harshly than he had meant for them too. But he quickly recovered when he realized he'd done exactly the same thing I had and was about to apologize for it. "I guess this isn't easy for either of us. This whole situation is so…"

"So crazy…So not what either of us were expecting?"

"Yeah. Something like that," he agreed with a light laugh.

"So you were going to tell me how everything makes sense to you now."

He nodded and then started talking again. "Just a lot of little shit that adds up now. How so many other things seemed to take precedence over spending time with me after that summer. Whether it was studying, or your friends, some school activity. When we were together it seemed forced sometimes. Like it was work or a chore, I guess because I don't know how else to describe it. I mean we had fun, you had a good time, but you never really let loose, let your guard down and let things with us really develop fully. You were always keeping me at a slight distance, never completely opening your heart to me. Hell you didn't even want to move in with me, in the apartment we picked out, until after the wedding."

I stood there and soaked in what he'd said. I concentrated as I thought about some of the best times we'd had together and tried to see what he had apparently saw so clearly. I tried to look at the memories as they flashed through my head as an outsider and see the things he mentioned. And what was scary was that I did. I saw how a lot of the time we appeared to be really close friends. There were some sweet and intimate moments, but I could see and even feel when I thought about those times that I had been holding back, never completely giving myself or my heart over to our relationship and never letting my feelings grow as they might have had I been all in like I should have been.

Mike was right. It was like I had been going through the motions and doing something I felt like I had to do instead of something I wanted to do. I'd felt something was missing from my life, but I'd never considered it had anything to do with Mike or Edward, at least not until I saw Edward at the meadow last Saturday. And that didn't mean that my relationship with Mike was unpleasant or a bad experience, because it hadn't been. We had gotten along quite well. There was some chemistry to a certain degree, but there was nothing like what Edward and I had between us. Not even close. What Edward and I felt for each other was all consuming. It stayed with us even through four years of separation and it was as if we were two halves of a whole. We completed each other.

The more I thought about my and Mike's relationship, I really saw how much work it had felt like it was to maintain it and with that came another realization and a few questions.

"Mike?"

"Yeah," he answered as he turned to face me. He had walked across the room to the front door and had stood looking out the side glass panel, allowing me a few moments to digest what he'd told me.

"I can see I was obviously so busy at the time and caught up in everything else in my life that I didn't see how truly hard it was to make things work between us. It shouldn't have been like that. We shouldn't have had to work that hard to be together."

"No you're right, it shouldn't have been," he admitted.

"It really shouldn't have and I guess if I hadn't been so busy with school, trying so hard to graduate in three years instead of four, I might have seen it since it's pretty clear when I look back now."

Getting completely off subject for a minute, Mike said, "Well you did do it in three and a half. That's something to be proud of, Bella."

"I know. Thanks."

His next question surprised me a little.

"Do you think it would have made a difference? You know, if maybe you hadn't been so wrapped up in graduating early, so focused on school?"

"No."

I saw hurt once again fill his eyes. "Wow. No hesitation there at all. Was it really that awful being with me?"

He didn't yet know the reason I could answer him so easily, so I quickly began to explain. "It's not the way you are thinking, Mike. I can answer you so quickly because you have pointed things out to me, made me see things I never did before. But in that process I also realized some other things too. I wasn't the only one who wasn't completely in our relationship."

"What are you saying, Bella? I loved you. I still love you. Are you implying that I wasn't totally committed to you? I wanted to marry you for Christ's sake, spend the rest of my life with you," Mike said loudly as he raised his voice and got angry for the first time today.

_Funny how turning the tables on someone causes them to react, _I thought. However I had come to a very important realization about our relationship as I saw how I had behaved over the course of the time we were together and I thought it was time he faced a few things too.

"Mike, just listen to me for a second. Please."

"Fine," he sighed.

"I am not saying that you didn't care for me. But tell me, if you saw all of these things in my behavior over the past few years, why didn't you ever question me on it? Why did you stay with me if you didn't feel as though I was one hundred percent committed to you? Why did you ask me to marry you, Mike? Can you answer those questions for me? And do it honestly?" I paused for a moment when I saw the gears in his head begin to kick into overdrive.

When I saw the preverbal light bulb go off and the look of knowing what I was talking about spread across his face, I continued. "You made me see that I kept you at arm's length the whole time we were together because deep down inside I was still in love with Edward and had never let him go. But that only explains my side of things, Mike. Why did you stay with me knowing I wasn't really in love with you? What was in it for you?"

He sat down on the sofa behind him and leaned forward, cradling his head in the palms of his hands with his arms perched on his knees while I sat next to him.

"I had hoped that you would grow to love me. And well…you weren't her," he mumbled.

"Her who?" I asked suddenly confused.

"Jessica Stanley."

As soon as her name was spoken I had the same sort of epiphany about my and Mike's relationship that he'd had in the beginning of our conversation. All the pieces clicked into place for me.

"Isn't Jessica who your mother wanted you to be with?"

"Yeah. But you are so different. You're sweet, caring, full of life, and material things don't matter to you. You were so…"

"Easy?" I asked, finishing the sentence for him.

"Yes. Incredibly easy to be with. And so unlike my mother. Jesus, Bella, do you realize what a huge mistake we almost made?"

"Yes I do," I said with a smile, happy that he now felt that way too. "So, I was a way to get back at your mom, huh?"

"Bella, I…I don't want you to think that, that was the only reason. You are a great girl, but…"

"But what?"

"I was desperate to get my mom off my back. Mrs. Stanley and my mom were constantly trying to set Jess and I up. While Jess was all for it, I was not. And my mom didn't understand since I wasn't dating anyone else."

"So that's when you asked me out."

"Yeah. And you're a great girl, Bella. Any man would be lucky to have you. You're smart, beautiful and you are a truly great person. I guess I thought that once I graduated and got married, my mother would see me as an adult, a man capable of making his own decisions and she'd quit trying to interfere in my life. So I figured if we were still together when we graduated, there must be something between us and I'd propose. Only I got antsy and did it early. Maybe I'm the one who should be apologizing to you."

"Nah. We both made mistakes and I think it worked out the way it was supposed to."

"That's easy for you to say. You're the one with the happily ever after."

"You will have yours too, Mike. You _are_ a great guy and you're not anything like your mother and one day you will meet the right girl and you'll be incredibly happy. She'll look at you like you hung the moon for her and you'll love her so much you won't know where you end and she begins. And maybe…nah, never mind."

"What? Tell me what you were going to say."

"I was gonna say that maybe your mom will like her too. But that might be pushing it a little," I told him. I couldn't help giggling a little when I saw the knowing smile that spread across his face.

"That might be a bit much to ask for," he agreed with a soft laugh of his own.

"Thanks for being so understanding," I said softly as I leaned over and gave Mike a hug.

"You're welcome," he said.

I started to get up and go find Edward and the rest of our family, but felt Mike tug on my arm and say. "Bella?"

"Yeah, Mike," I responded as I turned around to face him where he was still sitting on the couch.

"Good luck. And…I…I hope Cullen knows how lucky he is."

"He does," came Edward's voice from behind me.

A wide smile took shape on my face as I pivoted on my foot and saw Edward leaning against the doorway near the hall he had disappeared down a little while ago. He pulled himself off the wall and made his way over to me. He stopped behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned around to place a soft kiss on my cheek.

"How long were you standing there?" I asked him as I leaned back into his warm and inviting embrace while resting the back of my head on his chest.

"Just a few minutes. Mike's parents, mostly his mom, were starting to get a bit…edgy so I thought I'd come check on you guys."

Mike snorted and said, "I bet my mom is just a bundle of joy in there right now."

"That's one way to put it," Edward retorted. "She had a few choice words to say to me. Some of which included home wrecker, wedding crasher, fiancée thief, along with some others I couldn't quite make out in the high pitched voice she used during the tantrum she was throwing. But I did hear enough in here to make a guess that the two of you have talked things out and things are as good as can be expected."

"Yes we did," Mike said. "I think we helped each other see some things that we were missing. So I believe it's time I get my parents and we leave the two of you to celebrate with your parents."

As Mike started to walk past us, Edward held his hand out to him and said, "I don't expect us to ever be friends, but I'd like to hope that we can at least set aside any hard feelings we might have towards one another."

"Sure, sure," Mike said as he reached out and took Edward's hand and gave it a friendly shake. He then left the room to go let his parents know that he was ready to leave.

Edward spun me around to face him and tightened his hold on me, pressing me against him. "You ok? We can go upstairs and talk if you need to."

"I want to tell you everything, but not now. Right now I think I just need to get something to eat. I'm starving."

"You should have eaten more for breakfast," he teased and then planted a less than chaste kiss on my lips.

"Hmm, I would have had my incredibly sexy husband not kept me in bed so long this morning."

"Guess it's a good thing Dad wants to take us all to dinner then."

"Yup," I replied popping the 'p' as I did.

After a long lingering kiss, we made our way into the other room. Mike and his parents had already left through the side door that led straight to the driveway, which was a relief for me. I was grateful to not have to deal with his mother; I had done it enough over the time I was with him.

Jasper and Alice were more or less politely asked to leave the room when Esme asked them to go make sure Edward's room had clean linens in the bathroom or anything else we'd need for the next couple of days after she offered to let us stay with her and Carlisle until we headed to Boston. We then spent a short time explaining to our parents how we had pined for each other all these years, about the regrets we had over neither of us ever admitting our feelings and how we were sorry for any embarrassment, hassle or misfortune they suffered due to us running off to Vegas. We even offered to cover the expense of my and Mike's wedding since my parents had paid for something that never took place.

However my mom and dad insisted that wasn't necessary, that their only regret was that they didn't get to witness Edward and me getting married. Edward and I apologized and promised to show them the pictures that were taken during the ceremony when we all went out to dinner later. Both sets of our parents were excited to see the pictures and assured us that even though they didn't like having missed us getting married, they just wanted us to be happy and judging from the ear splitting grins and the way we refused to let go of one another, they were fairly certain we were.

We talked with them about our plans for Boston and what I was intending to do about my job. Once Alice and Jasper came back down, Edward got our suitcase out of the car and we both went to change clothes and freshen up for dinner. As we did, we talked about getting my stuff packed up and what I had that I wanted to take with me. I was so excited to begin my new life with him in Boston and the smile on his face, the love in his voice and the gleam in his eyes every time he looked at me, told me that he was too. It might have taken us four years to get to this point, but I knew we were finally on the path we were meant to be on.

**Thanks for reading. There will be one more chapter to this little love story so we can get a peek at their future and happy ever after. **

**Let me know what you thought,**

**EA**


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy Friday everyone! Here is the last chapter. My-Bella thank you so much for your friendship, your awesome red pen. Hope4more, my dear friend, I hope you are having a great vacation, you are missed.**

**Pictures of Bella's bracelet and their loft and the awesome banners that Noelle_Seven and** **Pixiefanpire**** made for me are up on my blog. Thank you to you both for the great banners you made.**

**Disclaimer: **

**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, plot, names, nicknames are all the property of the author. Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And Of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**~*Bella*~**

_**February 14, 2012**_

"Be careful when you head home, Sweetheart," Edward's voice warned through the phone. "The snow is already sticking and coming down pretty hard."

"I will, I promise. What time do you think you'll be home?" I asked, wanting to surprise him tonight.

"As long as the roads aren't too bad, it should be around the usual time."

"Ok."

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you too. Thank you again for my roses. They're beautiful," I told him as I looked towards the corner of my desk where the crystal vase sat filled with a dozen long stem red roses.

"They're not nearly as beautiful as you are, Mrs. Cullen. Happy Anniversary, Baby." His voice was low and seductive as he spoke and I couldn't wait to get home tonight. No matter how many times he said it, I still got all warm and tingly inside when he called me Mrs. Cullen.

"Happy anniversary to you too, and you be careful too."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too."

**~*MFV*~**

"Shit." I cursed the weather as I hurried across the freshly covered parking lot on the way to my jeep. It had only been two hours since I talked to Edward, but there had to be four inches of snow on the ground already. "Why couldn't the snow have waited just a few more hours before it had begun to fall and causing everything to be an frozen mess," I groaned as I continued my trek across the slippery surface.

One Year. It was one whole year today. Today was Valentine's Day, which meant it was my and Edward's one year anniversary. It was hard to believe that much time had gone by already. It may not have been the easiest year of my life, but it was certainly the best. That was all I could think about as I tried to keep from falling. Thank goodness I'd had the foresight to bring my boots with me just in case the storm hadn't held off as long as they had expected it to. _Stupid weather forecasters._ I was rushing to get to the grocery store so I could fix my husband a special dinner to celebrate our day.

Reaching my Jeep, I clicked the button on the keychain remote to unlock it before quickly getting inside and out of the blustery winds that were howling with the strengthening storm. Buying the jeep had been the first big purchase Edward and I had made together as a married couple. We had left the car I'd had in Forks behind so my parents could sell it for me. Once they had, that money was put with the small savings I'd had to buy the jeep for me. Edward had said with me having it he would never have to worry about me being stuck in the snow, that if there was too much snow on the ground for the jeep, then there was probably too much snow to be out at all.

There had been a few of those days over the course of the past year and I was certain we were about to have a few more. A huge low pressure system was making its way up the east coast and was expected to dump anywhere from ten to twenty inches of snow on us before it moved on. The local weather people had said that once it started snowing, it wouldn't stop for quite a while. This was part of my reason for being in such a hurry and the other was I wanted to beat Edward home so that I could get dinner done and surprise him with not only a great meal, but with the new negligee I had bought just for today.

I smiled to myself as the events of the last year played through mind while I drove to Food-Mart, the local grocery store. For the most part Edward and I had been shrouded in our own little world of marital bliss. But not everything had gone as smoothly as we had hoped it would. Our biggest setback had been before we'd even left Forks. The day after we'd returned to Forks, I went to visit with my boss and had been greatly disappointed when she hadn't been able to agree with my idea of mailing manuscripts back and forth for me to edit. She had been concerned about them being lost and ending up leaked to the public before they were published, much less edited. It would not only have been a nightmare for the company, but horrific for the authors who had poured their heart and souls into the stories they had written. But as disappointed as I had been, I could see her point and knew I had no real argument to counter what she had said. She had been sad to see me go, but had suggested to me the names of a few places where she thought I might have some luck getting a job in the Boston area and had also offered to write me a letter of recommendation.

Our next setback had come when I had been unable to get a job at any of the three places that had been suggested to me as well as a few others I had discovered on my own. While being impressed with my resume and the outstanding recommendation from my former boss, none of them had had any openings at that time. Being unable to find a job had left me feeling as though I was letting Edward down and I wasn't fulfilling my share of the responsibilities of our marriage. Despite the fact Edward had assured me he made enough at the law firm he was working for, I had still worried and that had led to some minor arguments between us. Edward just didn't get why it bothered me and didn't think it should be an issue. But I was eventually able to somehow explain it to him so that he finally got it and it was never a problem for us again. At least we were fortunate that we didn't have to worry about rent since Carlisle and Esme had purchased the small loft apartment we lived in for Edward as a graduation gift and his acceptance into Harvard Law. There had still been gas for our vehicles, food and all the other necessities of life, but not having to worry about rent was a big relief to us.

Three months later, just when I had thought I'd go stir crazy from being home all day while Edward was either in class or at work, I had gotten a call from the head of editing at Meyer Publishing. A week later I had gone on an interview and had been offered a job on the spot. Their assistant editor had put them in a tight spot when she left to go on maternity leave and had called them unexpectedly with the news she was not coming back. Her loss, my gain, was the way Edward and I had both seen it.

Once I had settled into my new job, things went pretty smoothly from there on out. That wasn't to say that Edward and I didn't have arguments from time to time or that I didn't hate there were times when he didn't come home until late at night due to school work or research he was doing on whatever case his firm was working on. It was such an instance that had led to our first big blow up at each other. Edward had been needed to stay late at work and had forgotten to call me. When he had finally made it home past eleven at night, I had been scared something horrible had happened to him and furious that he had not called me. One thing had led to another and Edward had slept on the couch that night. We had both been miserable the whole night and after that we had agreed to talk things out before they got that out of hand again, and to do our best to never go to bed mad at each other again. So far we had been able to stick to it.

As I pulled into the lot at Food-Mart, I was extremely relieved to see that I had beaten the mad rush for all the essentials everyone seemed to stock up on when there was an impending snow storm. I made my way through the store, getting what I needed for dinner tonight, a bottle of wine and some stuff to get us through the next couple of days in case the storm was as bad as they were predicting it to be. After double checking my list and making sure I had everything, I paid for the groceries and drove home as fast as I safely could given the hard snow falling outside.

The snow made me think back to Christmas. Both sets of our parents, as well as Alice and Jasper, had come here to spend the holidays with us. We had a great time showing them around Boston and had a lot of fun when as one of our Christmas presents, Carlisle and Esme took us all to a nearby ski lodge for New Year's weekend. We all had a wonderful time despite my propensity for being clumsy. On the last day there, I had managed to somehow get my skis tangled with Edward's and had sent us both tumbling down the slope. Thank goodness it had been the beginners slope and mostly empty. We both had some bruises and I had a slightly sprained ankle. But given what our injuries could have been we were grateful to come out of the mishap basically unscathed.

Alice had always been one to keep up with all the gossip from the rumor mill, and she had brought some news of all that was going on back in Forks. While most of it had been just small town gossip, there had been one bit of news that was pretty big. When Edward and I had left Forks last year, I had known that Mike was going to take the trip we had planned for our honeymoon. While in Italy he met a girl who was in her last semester of college and studying abroad. Alice said that Mike's sister Lauren told her that Mike and Katarina had hit it off right away. Lauren told Alice that once he'd returned home they had talked on the phone, emailed and chatted through Skype every chance they got and that Mike had been happier than she had ever seen them. Turns out Katarina was from Portland and when she returned there to graduate, Mike had spent the entire summer there with her. By September, Mike had announced to his parents that he had found a new job and would be moving to Portland to live with Katarina.

I remembered Alice giggling when she had said that Olivia had a fit and had insisted that Mike do no such thing. Apparently though, Katarina was the real deal for Mike as he had told his mom that she could either accept Katarina and his choice to move or she could forget he was her son. Alice had then told us that Olivia must have accepted his decision because Mike and Katarina had gotten married two months after he had moved and Olivia was now all aflutter over her new daughter-in-law. I was sincerely happy for Mike and that he had found who he was meant to be with.

My drive home didn't take too long, and before I knew it I was pulling into my spot in our parking garage. Slinging my purse and laptop bag over my shoulder, I then opened the storage compartment in the back of the jeep and took out the bag containing the negligee I had purchased for today. I had kept it hidden there so that Edward wouldn't find it in the house. Next I grabbed the bags of food and after locking the jeep, I trudged into the building where our loft apartment was. It wasn't a huge loft, since it had originally been meant for just Edward, but it was perfect for us and we'd had fun decorating the open space together to make it ours.

Standing in front of our door, I reached up to insert the key in the lock when I found a pink post-it note stuck to the door. It said, "I love you", on it. I smiled remembering that due to my early morning meeting, I'd left before Edward and figured he'd placed it there for me to see when I got home. It wasn't unusual for Edward to find some sweet way to tell me he loved me. I would often find a note in my lunch, my purse, on the fridge, on my pillow or even on the bathroom mirror when it would steam up from my shower. But it was unusual for me to find more than one in any given day and when I closed the door I saw there was another post-it note stuck to the back of the door. This one said, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways".

I turned around and saw several candles had been lit throughout the apartment and there were several more post-it notes placed all around it as well. Not only were there candles and the notes, but I could smell that something had been cooked recently and the table was set for a romantic dinner for two. I smiled realizing Edward must have already been home when he had called me. Our apartment was one big open loft space which allowed me to see everywhere except inside the closets and the bathroom. I scanned the apartment for him and even though I didn't see him anywhere, I knew he had to be here due to the candles having been lit. He would never go off and leave them burning. So I made my way to the kitchen counter and put away the refrigerated foods.

I then began to read all the notes one by one. I started with the one on the fridge door. It said, "I love the way your hair feels like the softest strands of silk when I run my fingers through it". The next note was actually two together on the cabinet door. The first one said, "I love the way you pretend to still be asleep in the morning until I kiss you". And the second one said, "I love the way you smile after I kiss you first thing in the morning".

I continued making my way around the apartment, reading each note. One said, "I love the way your eyes darken and look like molten chocolate when we make love". Another said, "I love the way you fit perfectly in my arms". Others said, "I love the way you sing in the shower" and "I love the way you watch me when you think I'm not looking".

But the last one, which was actually a folded piece of pink construction paper instead of a post-it note attached to a red velvet jewelry box, was my favorite. My name was written on the outside in red crayon. When I opened it up and began to read, I couldn't stop the stream of tears that fell as I did.

_My beautiful wife,_

_I love you because you're you, because you're mine, because you are my forever valentine. Inside the box you will find a bracelet with a heart on it. But it's not just any heart. It's special just like our love. It's a continuous heart shape of two interlocking hearts which are a symbol of love shared and everlasting. That is how I see our hearts, Bella. Intertwined and locked together forever, bound to one another by our love, forever beating as one._

_All my love forever, _

_Edward_

I swiped the tears from eyes so I could see better and opened up the box. The bracelet was beautiful. It was a chain link design with a heart shaped charm on it that was accented by diamonds. The heart was just as Edward had said—two hearts interlocked with one another. Immediately wanting to wear it, I removed it from the box.

As I did, I heard footsteps coming closer to me and Edward say, "Would you like some help with that?"

By the time I had nodded my answer he was already next to me. "It's beautiful," I choked out in barely a whisper. I was so overcome by all that he had done—the roses at work today, the notes, the bracelet and its meaning; I could hardly speak as he helped me put it on.

"Hmm, yes it is. But as I told you earlier, not nearly as beautiful as you."

I smiled knowing there was no point in arguing with him. To Edward I was the most beautiful thing in the world and his love for me made me feel like I truly was.

"You were home doing all this," I said motioning my hand towards the candles and the pile of notes sitting next to the box my bracelet had been in, "when you called me this afternoon, weren't you?"

That cocky, lopsided grin I loved—my grin—spread across his face. "Yeah, I was. I wanted to surprise you."

"You did," I said as I rose up on my toes and gave him a soft kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he whispered as his hand slid up my arm and around to the back of my neck. His fingers slid into my hair as he cupped my head and held me in place, leaning forward and brushing his lips softly against mine once, twice, three times before covering my mouth with his and kissing me passionately.

The chemistry between Edward and I was like an unquenchable flame burning brightly. It didn't take long for things to get heated between us. We continued to kiss and it wasn't long before he picked me up and carried me the short distance to our bed. Not wanting to let go of one another, we kept on kissing between removing each other's clothes.

As the last piece of clothing hit the floor, I noticed that our loft had grown dark except for the soft illumination from the candles. It was perfect and just enough light for Edward and me to be able to see each other as he lifted me in his arms and set me in the middle of our bed. I laid back on the bed and held my hand out for Edward to join me and he wasted no time in doing so.

"I love you," he whispered as he crawled up the bed until he was on top of me and had himself positioned to make love to me.

"I love you too," I murmured as our bodies became joined together as one.

We took our time making love to each other. We savored every touch, every caress, every surge of desire and pleasure that we gave to each other. Later after we had completely exhausted one another and the candles had been blown out and the dinner Edward had made had been put away for tomorrow, we were lying in bed wrapped around each other drifting to sleep.

I thought about how just a year ago we had come so close to never having what we have now. We were incredibly lucky. Some might say that the first year of marriage was the hardest, but we'd made it through all that had been thrown at us and I couldn't wait to see what all the years we had ahead of us would bring.

Edward was my forever valentine, the love of my life, and the other half of my heart. He was all I would ever need to feel whole.

**I hope you enjoyed reading this little love story as much as I did writing it. For those of you who have read **_**The Game That Changed It All**_**, next I will be working on the outtake of Edward getting inducted into The Baseball Hall of Fame. I know you have been waiting a while for it and I apologize for that. **

**Thanks for reading, let me know what ya thought.**

**EA**


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